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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 7 Hansard (20 June) . . Page.. 1979 ..
(CONSEQUENTIAL PROVISIONS) BILL 1996
Debate resumed from 23 May 1996, on motion by Mr De Domenico:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Debate (on motion by Mr Wood) adjourned.
(CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL 1996
Debate resumed from 23 May 1996, on motion by Mr De Domenico:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Debate (on motion by Mr Wood) adjourned.
Debate resumed from 18 April 1996, on motion by Mr De Domenico:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MR WOOD (11.59): The Opposition supports this Bill, and I expect that we will see its passage today. The Bill completes the process of transferring some authority from ACTEW to the Department of Urban Services, and we see that as quite appropriate. This validates decisions that were made earlier. The Bill also introduces a power to exempt kinds of electrical installation from the need for inspection. The Opposition supports this as well; but I want to sound a note of caution about it, because I recall the time when there was trouble in the building industry arising from some exemption from inspections. In a very few circumstances buildings were found to be deficient. Work had not been done properly, certain footings were not as they should be or other work was inadequate. Self-regulation at that time did not work 100 per cent effectively. Effectiveness may have been as high as 99 per cent, but still some people were disadvantaged in that their homes were found to be inadequate because of that failure.
My note of caution is that, should the same circumstances develop in respect of electrical work and if things are not done properly, fatalities and injuries can follow. There is a need for this to be monitored. We need to be confident that the small amount of inspection that may not occur does not cause problems. I am not anticipating problems; but, based on the record in another part of the building industry, I think there is a need for caution. I am sure that the Minister and the bureaucrats involved are pretty conscious of that.
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